The Knight and the Stewardess
by Dorobouhime
Summary: "It looks like you have two choices, demon. Die now, a failure with romantic intention, or live and hope that you might just find your way back to her. Pride is a fine sentiment, but if you ask me, the choice is obvious."
1. Study Night

(Edit! I forgot to post the concept art for this fic... Which really just started as a doodle.. But then I liked it so i turned it into a whole fic... So yup! Its right here : ht tp : / / i640 . photobucket . com/ albums / uu122 / Oridesu / CubeandEri002 . jpg copy/paste it to your browser and take out all the spaces to see it. :) )

"That teacher doesn't know what she's talking about! Eighty percent? I'm the freaking princess of the Demon world! It should we a hundred by default!"

"Well maybe if you did less yelling and more reading..."

"What did you say! Its not like you did any better!"

Cube could hear the heated arguement upstairs. Lady Yucie had invited her friends over to study and, as usual things were getting quite lively.

"Hey guys... we all did really bad so..." He could faintly hear his Mistress's voice as she tried to smooth things over between the princess of the Demon Realm and the princess of Heaven. It didn't seem to be working, it usually didn't, some divides were too deep-seeded to overcome. But the fact that they were in the same room and not killing eachother was testament to Lady Yucie's power's of diplomacy. Though, he should probably to go up and make sure that they didn't break any furniture. They were all friends, but with Lady Glenda involved there could still be casualties...

"My answer was correct! She marked it wrong just to spite me okay?"

"Well I would much rather have the answer the teacher wants than yours even if it is correct, and why would she even pay you enough mind to have spite?"

"-Excuse me..." Cube knocked softly as he opened the door and breathed a sigh of releif when he spied the unscathed furniture, nothing had come to blows yet, apparently.

"What do you want, traitor?"

"I've always prefered the term 'Ex-Patriot'...", Cube's smile got just a little bit sharper as he directed it at the pale-haired girl who'd been making an effort to dominate all conversation. He couldn't help but respect her as a member of the royal family, but he lamented the fact that that selfish, unreasonable nature seemed to be genetically hardwired into most demonic women.

"-Cube! You're a demon right? Maybe you could help!" Lady Yucie's voice grabbed everyone's attention as it always did.

"That's true but..." He could feel Glenda's glare making his hair stand on end, "I'm sure I wouldn't be very helpful... Maybe Gaga-san?" He looked over at the Princess wondering why her loyal steward wasn't around today.

"I gave him the day off! But we don't need anyone's input, the teacher just messed up."

"Glenda! Stop being so stubborn!" Yucie glared at her friend and turned back to Cube. "Please?"

"How can I be of service?" Cube replied with a smile, a bit confused as to the controversy.

"We all did poorly on this Demonology unit in magic class, so we're studying for the make-up quiz and there's this one question that everyone is unsure of."

"I'm not unsure! I even know one!" Glenda piped up but settled back into sullen silence. Cube nodded and let Lady Yucie continue. He wasn't an expert in demonology in the same way that most humans weren't experts in biology, but he would do what he could.

"It asks us to define a cambion..." Yucied said as she scanned the piece of paper, "We know its the child of a succubus and a human, but it also asks for abilities and weaknesses. Glenda says that they're great shape shifters and that their weakness is their stronger than usual emotional responses. But she got marked off on that question so..."

It took a few moments for Cube to think about the seemingly innocent question. He handn't even formed a factual answer before he felt a lump rising in his throat. He tried to to contemplate the princess's comment about "knowing one". Of all the questions they could have asked, it had to be that one.

"Cube?" Lady Yucie waved her hand in front of his face slight concern coloring her expression. "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine!" Cube's forced a smile back on his face. It was a simple question, describing an unusual type of demon, it shouldn't be hard to explain it to the girls without getting too personal.

"Cambions have dual true forms, both demonic and human. It's not that they are particularly good at shape shifting in comparison to the average demon. They have a pretty good level of control over their height and such in demonic form. Their human form on the other hand is decidedly static and can only change with age if they remain in it for too long. That is both a strength and a weakness because their human form is an undetectable disguse and gives them ability to use magic beyond the usual black magic repitoire, but, the human blood in their veins also means that they are physically weak in comparison to other demons. It's also true that they tend to have a more human-like range of emotions. Thus, they are generally looked down upon in the demon realm." He closed his mouth as he started to feel his tone change. There was no use in getting outraged, he had already failed long ago and, for that matter, those problems had been clearly solved.

"I see! Thats really interesting!" Lady Yucie smiled and things felt a little less bleak. He was so lucky to be where he was. His life was fun, comfortable and the people he served were worthy of his alleigance and respect as well as friendship. Regrets, he tried to convince himself, were just a part of life he had to live with.

"Yes, I hope that that information was useful, though everyone should really go home soon. Master Gunbard will be unhappy with me and you certainly won't do well on your tests if you don't get enough sleep!"

He watched quietly as Lady Yucie saw her friends off. What a different time this was, a time where the daughters of each world could could live so closely. The memories of so many wars no longer marring their impressions. It couldn't have made him happier. But he had to admit that it was because even he was a totally different person these days. He reached into his pocket, his hand meeting nothing but the beat up coin purse that was always there, the last item that he'd kept from his home world. "I wonder if she'd even recognize me?" he dreamily as he stared out at the starry sky.

...

It was that odd time between the demon realm's scorching summer and figid winter. Humidity was clinging to Kuyabrion's skin and hair as he waited for the match to begin. It had been a good call to leave his armor at home, it would have been unbearable otherwise. Outside the waiting area, he could hear the crowds talking and cheering. The smell of metal, alcohol and roasting meat came drifting in. Typical fare for the solstice festival, or so he'd heard...

He cracked his neck and streched out a bit, the room was empty, save for him, a low table, and a somewhat uncomfortable couch. There were probably at least fourty minutes before he was up, so maybe he could have wandered around for a bit, but he wasn't hungry and had never really gooten the "drunken swordsman" thing to work in his favor, he just ended up on his face in the dirt. Instead, he lifted his sword and took a moment to savor the familiar weight. There was a scrap of cloth lying on the table, his precious weapon had been cleaned this morning, but it never hurt to clean it again right?

As he buffed the blade, he sighed aloud, he didn't care for festivals. It wasn't that he wouldn't have liked them if he acctually got to participate, but as the King's head Knight, he spent his festival time alternatively sitting in dark little rooms and then then fighting in front of loudly cheering crowds. Not exactly his idea of an awesome time; but it was his job and he took it quite seriously. Though he really couldn't wait until another war broke out, maybe a big one with Heaven or the Human realm, some time on a real battlefield would do him well...

"No armor today, Sir Kuyabrion?", an unfamiliar voice took him by surprise. His eyes flicked quickly to the door. A small figure stood, watching him calmly. She had been so quiet as she slipped in that he hadn't noticed, though her face he imediatley recognized. It was the Queen's stewardess, the eye-like symbol on her forehead marked her as such, and Kuyabrion remembered seeing the four-and-a-half foot tall cambion following Her Majesty around. He was a bit surprised to see her away from her mistress's side, it was a bit gutsy, considering how much of an easy target she was.

"No, uh, I guess not..." He started to reply casually, but stumbled over his words a bit as their eyes met. Though he had been in the same room as this person more times than he could count, it was a bit surreal to hear her speak. He's never really though about what she must sound like. She had a pretty voice, soft, but somehow still confident.

"It is a bit too humid isn't it? I certainly wouldn't bother with it for such a throw-away match." She smiled at him, it was a warm, sweet-looking smile. Her eyes were a very bright blood-on-snow color and it somehow intensified her expression. As he continued to look at her face he could almost feel that warmth shimmering in the air between them. Kuyabrion had to look away, somehow offset.

"Uh, sure..." Why was his face getting all hot?

"Whatever the case," Her brisk tone yanked him back to the present, "I bear a message from Her Majesty, the Amaizingly Beautiful and Talented Queen Matilda of the Demon Realm." She used the queen's self proclaimed title without the slightest hint of sarcasm and maybe even a bit of reverence. Kuyabrion had to swallow his own smirk as the name came up, but the mention of a message set him at attention. Whether Her Majesty was eccentric or not took a back seat to the fact that she was indeed the queen of the underworld and It was his and every other knight's duty to take heed of the words of the royal family.

"I see," He stood up, ready to carry out whatever orders this small girl carried, "What is the message."

"Her Majesty will be gracing the arena with her awesome and all-knowing presence today and, for whatever reason, she wishes to offer you her words of encouragement. She would also like you to know what an amaizing honor this is and such, which she is sure you already understand being a knight who has done rather well in the past."

"Um..." His heart sank when he realized the message carried no mission, just a rather underhanded compliment. "Is that all?"

"Yes." Her warm, sincere smile remained, despite the idiotitc words she had just spouted.

"How can you say that with a straight face?" he replied, a disappointed bite coloring his voice. It wasn't really this girl's fault that everything was so boring, but he had to display his annoyance to someone.

"How can you sit around in unattractive places like this and then chop up other sentient beings with that oversized meat cleaver?" The girl's eyebrow twitched and the warmth seeped out of her smile in an instant. The sharp edge came without warning and the young knight felt a bit of his own confidence drain. He hadn't really mean't to offend her, nor had he expected much of an response from someone who's job it was to serve. "Now if you'll excuse me I'll be taking my leave." With that she turned on her heel. Kuyabrion watched her pad away, feeling confused.

"Um, thank's for the encouragement!" he tried to sneak in a few less-offensive (?) words as she walked away.

"The encouragment was only from her Majesty. _I_", she said with emphasis without looking at him, "Have always been rooting for the other guy."

...

"Wh-What do you mean you're comming here!"

"Huh? Why not?" Eriya cocked her head to the side, a bit confused by her grandfather's reaction, "I thought you'd be pleased, with all those ridiculous letters you've been sending me."

"Well, you, um, love the demon realm so much! Why would you travel so far from home! Princess Glenda and I are here for the Platinum princess selection but..." Eriya rolled her eyes, after all she'd been through Grandfather still thought that he could shelter her from the intricacies of life.

"Not really, I'd acctually been hoping for a change of scene." Eriya held the letter she had received up to the mirror they were communicating by, "I got a letter from Queen Erecell, one of the magic teachers at the Princess Academy is taking a leave of absence and she offered me a temporary position. Isn't that nice?"

"You'd really want to work for a human? What about your demonic pride? What will people say with the Archmage of the Demon realm teaching a bunch of spoiled girls?"

"Ehehehe... Hasn't that always been my job? I rather like it..." Eriya laughed a bit at her own reference to everyone's favorite spoiled brat, it really had been lonely since Ms. Glenda had left. "Besides, its both more interesting AND respectable than conjuring giant bows and smiley faces all day. I'll even have a salary and free time. It's not like Im being enslaved here..."

"Even still-"

"-Grandfather..."

"Yes Eriya-chan?"

"I made this call only to let you know I was comming, not to seek your counsel. I am quite set in this decision."

"There's nothing I can do to stop you?"

"Not a thing, but your deternination is making me suspicious." She smiled the hard, cold smile that had made her a bit famous, it said "Don't Cross me or Else".

"I see, well, it will be lovely to have you around then..."

"It will be great to see you as well, Grandfather."

"Bye-bye Eriya-chaan~"

"Farewell." Her smile faded along with the connection. She felt a pang of guilt at the fact that she woudn't be able to give the job her best. All those children deserved to get a proper magical education. Sadly, she would not be the one providing it... There was something far more important to tackle.

...

"Eriyaaaaa~" Her majesty's voice extended into a whine, "I'm sooo bored."

"Is that so, Your Majesty?" Eriya replied sweetly to the same words that she heard every day, "What do you suppose we should do? There's the Solstice festival, so we could get somthing to eat... I hear the roasted helboar is good!"

"Only you would think that eating was something that could ease boredom. Are you trying to make me fat? I don't just naturally fit into these leather dresses you know... Think of somethign else! If I get any more bored I'll diiiieeee..." Her majesty flopped onto her bed and gave Eriya a dubious look before staring off into the distance.

"Well Your Majesty-"

"-You'd think marrying the devil would give you a more interesting life you know... " Queen Matilda interupted without thinking. But as the sad look on her face deepened Eriya couldn't stay mad. His majesty hadn't made an appearance for a few weeks now, he was either locked away in his quarters or off in another worlds doing who knew what. The silence got louder as time went on, so Eriya spoke up, doing her best to drown it out.

"Well, there has to be something you might want to do! Erigal the Incomptent is supposed to be drawn and quartered today! You sentanced him, so it you shoulld go and make sure its done properly right!" She rested her small hand on the older-looking woman's downturned head and patted it softly. Though truthfully the tiny stewardess was at least twice her age. She merely thought it more respectful to keep a form that was smaller than her mistress.

"I sentanced Erigal to painful death because I neverwanted to see his face again. Why the hell would I want to go see it now?"

"I simply though you might wish to view your handiwork."

"Nah, do you know when that ridiculous husband of mine is comming back?"

"I don't know, your majesty. Grandfath- I mean Mr. Gaga said that he was taking a trip to the Human Realm."

"Oh! Another war!" Her majesty perked up at the talk of inter-worldly carnage and Eriya cringed, she had never quite felt the appeal. Though her spirits raised a bit as her mistress's did. Eriya could imagine how painful and confusing it must be to live without a distinct purpose as the queen did. She owed her life to the restless young ruler and if a war made her happy, then a war there had to be.

"I wouldn't know, your Majesty, but is there anything you would like to do in the meantime?"

"You said there was a tounament right? Lets watch it!" Her lithe form was up in seconds, looking at Eriya expectantly.

"As you wish." Eriya said with a small bow, "Which matches were you interested in? I heard that there alot of new military recruits trying to make names for themselves, maybe you could give them your encouragement!" She thought that as queen, it might be a good idea to try and raise everyone's morale, though she knew before she received an answer that her majesty had other ideas.

"Hmm..." The queen's smile grew more sultry as she considered the idea, "Are any of them good looking?"

"Your Majesty!" Eriya could feel a bit of color rising in her face at her Mistress's infidelity, "Your a married woman you know!"

"What? I'm just watching them fight!" Queen Matilda winked, "And this is the Demon Realm after all, who said I couldn't indulge in a bit of sin? Now lets seee... Is that really really pretty one fighting? You know the one... mocha complexion, green eyes... What was his name Kura- Ku-"

"Sir Kuyabrion, Ma'am?" Eriya bit her tounge, she really didn't want to encourage this selfish behavor, but she had filled in the blank entirely out of habit.

"Yeah! Him... And I want you to go annonce me to him! The usual speech, and make sure you don't seem too soft and fluffy like you always do." The Queen waved her hand dismisively, "Now go, I'll meet you in the stands."

Eriya opened her mouth to say something, probably asking what she meant by "soft and fluffy", but was silenced by a serious glance. If she said anything more, the bounds between master and servant would be overstepped.

"As you wish..." Eriya glared at the ground as she made her way to the arena and the fighter waiting rooms. She hated it when she was sent on pointless, embarassing errands like this one. Next time this happened, she wouldn't stand for it!

Or at least, that's what she liked to think, but, as soon as the thought occured to her she felt terrible. What kind of horrible person would forsake their savior so easily? With the weak, human blood that flowed through her veins, she would have been devoured ages ago, if not for the queen's protection and her grandfather's training. And beyond that, the king had been gone for so long, it was understandable that her majesty would be lonely for male company... Or umm at least that's what sounded about right. Eriya personally didn't see a reason, but that was how things were, apparently...

Though she wished that it wasn't Sir Kuyabrion she had to encourage. He was a jerk. At least, that was what Grandfather said. He hated the King's Knight's guts for more reasons than he could coherently outline. What Eriya thought might constitute the most legitimate issues were that he was stupid, disrespectful and untalented, yet he had a very honorable position in court and was popular among the his fellow members of the military. She'd only seen him from across the room at court gatherings and other ceremonies, but he looked like he might fit that description and if Grandfather said so, it was likely to be true.

No one stopped her as she made her way to the waiting rooms underneath the Capital's arena, she could thank the mark on her forehead for that. No one messed with royal stewards.

The stone was cool and pleasant on her bare feet despite the droll looking brownish-gray walls and thick, humid air. Since the match wasn't for a while, the underground passageways were deserted, it was the typical mentality of the demon realm, procrasinators every one of them. There was no way anyone would be here to prepare for the match until, at most, ten minutes before.

Eriya figured that she'd have to wait a while for her query to appear, which was a bit of an annoyance, but it was her job, so she wouldn't wander off. She started to climb the right flight of stairs and the sounds of the ground-level arena grew louder. The door to the small waiting room, stood slightly ajar. Breifly, she thought she might simply wait outside for others to arrive, but inside she could sit down and she was feeling sort-of tired. Anyway, she would be able to hear anyone comming and quickly get to her proper post. She was bending the rules a bit, but there was no one around to know...

She slipped quietly through the small crack in the door-

-and froze. The room wasn't empty. Oh man... she was so dead. It was against protocol to not knock! She held her breath as her brain slowly registered who sat on the couch. This couldn't have been worse... It was Sir Kuyabrion.

Her stomach turned, her job, her very life was in danger! That guy... He was probably the type who would get really mad about that sort of thing. He'd tell the king to make sure she was fired! Then she would be at the mercy of the whole, unmerciful world. She took one long quiet breath and got a good look at the person who would be her downfall. He hadn't noticed her yet.

His shoulders here bent over an ornate longsword, he was polishing it with a scarp of cloth. There was a certain focused intesity within his posture, as if the only thing in the world that existed was his task, it was a kind of dedication that she didn't expect from someone like him. Eriya took another quiet breath, wanting to watch him work for a bit longer.

She was surprised to see that he wasn't wearing his usual suit of plate and mail. She had never seen the King's knight in plain clothes before. He wore a black tank top and a loose pair of trousers tucked into his boots. It made his physical form seemed slightly smaller, but Eriya liked the effect, the shape of his bare arms looked simple, but somehow striking. Much better than all that bunch of hammered steel if you asked her... His dark purple hair fell over his face on the side closest to her, obscuring his eyes, but she could see the nice line of his neck and well formed collarbone. She leaned forward a bit farther...

_No!, _she took a silent step back_, What the hell are _you_ looking at?, _she gave herself a sharp reprimand_, _her mind had begun to move like her Majesty's and somehow she found that distasteful. It was true that he really was handsome, especially in comparison to most demonic men, but that didn't mean she needed to start drooling like an idiot, She took a third breath and realized that she had calmed down. He didn't notice her, so she could have snuck back out and knocked, but for some reason she felt inclined to start a conversation. Eriya took one last breath and spoke.

"No Armor today, Sir Kuyabrion?" She started. As she made the first sound his eyes locked right in on her's, they were a deep green-blue.

"Uh-No, I guess not...", He looked right at her and smiled a bit, it was unexpected but Eriya felt her own polite smile becoming brighter in return. Maybe this wasn't the right Sir Kuyabrion. He didn't seem like a jerk to her...

"It is a bit too humid isn't it?" She commented and then quickly tried to think of a compliment, "I certainly wouldn't bother with it for such a throw-away match."

"Uh sure..." He looked away pointedly and Eriya realized how offensive her compliment could have been. Warriors really cared about fighting strong people right? If she had implied that his opponent wasn't strong, maybe that was a huge insult. Doubt started to pour in around her shoulders and she desperatley reached for something to switch her attention to. Oh, right! She was here for a reason! Why was she such an idiot?

"In any case," Eriya said quickly, focusing on her job. As she delivered the message her pulse slowed again. Nothing made her happier than a job well done, no matter how small the job was and the kind words of one's benevolent ruler always made good conversation!

She heard the tone before she understood the words, he sounded annoyed. She stomach twisted.

"How can you say that with a straight face?" his eyes had turned darker, it wasn't the reaction she expected. The edge of his mouth was turned up in a smirk, her resolve faded at the negative reaction, was he making fun of her? She wasn't sure why, but she no longer felt safe.

Wait a second! Who cared what this guy thought! He should be more grateful! She had been stupid not to keep in mind everything she'd heard. He may have had an attractive form, but he wasn't any less a violent, lawless brute than his fellow soldiers. And it was her job to say whatever she was told to with a straight face, just like it was his job to be a violent brute! She felt the venom in her tone, as she spit the question back at him.

(Thanks for reading!~ )


	2. Tripping over their own feet

((Okay! uhhh I'm not happy with this chapter or this story at all but I posted it because this stuff was already written... I edited it alot and tried to make it passable but yeah.. have fun! XD;;))

A shiver ran down Eriya's spine as she looked out over the color soaked landscape. The lightest breeze was running its fingers through her hair as the huge white-gold sun hung in a saturated blue sky. She blinked a few times, seeing the human world in real life was quite different than secondhand accounts. She hoped that it wasn't this bright all the time.

At the very least, she'd judged the right coordinates to create a portal. The grassy knoll she stood on perfectly overlooked the huge white castle and the town that surrounded it. A forest spread out behind her back. She checked her timepiece, perfect, she had an hour and a half to become accustomed to her surroundings and report to Queen Erecell of the humans. That should be just enough time.

Eriya flopped onto the grass and closed her eyes, if she was to to teach magic in this realm she had to get a feel for its energy. The dark, powerful magic that had surrounded her her entire life seemed far and thin, mostly closed off by the barriers between worlds. Though is familiar pull was still there slowly leaking through as it always had, it was certainly enough to use. As if to directly oppose the richness of her home world, the sharp, floral scented feeling of white magic also permeated the air. Ah, so this must be what people meant when they called the human realm the battlefield. It was the only place where heaven and hell had equal sway. Eriya would have thought it interesting, if not for the trouble that nature had caused.

Eriya crossed her arms as if to pull herself together. She tired not to imagine what it would be like to meet your end in a place such as this. Blinded by the light, burned and maimed with holy magic, before finally, the last blow sweeping your very existence away so that there's nothing left of you but dust. The worst way to go, no honor, not even a final word.

Her hands shook, not with fear for her own life, but at the images that came to her unbidden. She would never know exactly how that person had died, but it must have hurt so badly. Her nails dug into the tops of her arms as she contemplated the form she would have to take, it was needed, but the idea of changing always felt so unsavory. It was giving in to her greatest weakness and brought her closer to death every time. But, it wasn't like death was so far off anyway. Eriya decided to change quick, like pulling a band-aid. She took one deep breath, and called to her other half.

In an instant the taste of the air changed from foreign to sweet and the warmth of the sun spilling over her back felt as welcome as the embrace of a long lost friend. Her senses had dulled, but it felt like there was so much more to the world. The soft hair that slipped over her now hornless forehead was the color of new straw. Eriya savored the feeling of the soft grass between her toes, this place was perfect. More than perfect, at least that what her body told her, it took every ounce of self control to focus back on the true purpose for which she had come. Still barefoot, she started on her way down to the castle.

...

"So, why are you so obsessed with Her Majesty anyway?" The immediate death stare let him know right away that he had broached the wrong subject right off the bat, something Kuyabrion was all too aware of.

He had come upon yesterday's messenger wandering through the food stalls, daintily eating her way through a juicy-looking piece of Helboar. She'd taken a taller, more mature form, but he still recognized her without trying. The girl radiated an energy that was entirely its own, purposefully understated and controlled, but innately warm and intriguing. Her eyes stayed solidly glued to the sky as she made her way through the crowds.

Her sharp words from yesterday had dug themselves into the back of his mind and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. Last night, when he had received the call that he periodically did, he'd hoped to catch a glimpse of her at the castle. But, of course, the halls had been deserted on her majesty's orders. He knew it was best for his own hide that he wasn't seen, but he had still felt kind of thwarted.

There were many ways that he had tried to analyze it, maybe he wasn't used to women speaking their mind, maybe he had been in some state of pre-battle euphoria and thus the memory seemed more spectacular, or maybe he felt some need to prove himself because she had dissed him. Of course, all of his high-brow theories seemed uniformly ridiculous when one remembered that female demons were known for being the most outspoken creatures the universe over, that he was sick of arena-battles, and that he honestly didn't really care who was rooting for him or not. The only tangible answer, what he had ascertained to be the fact of the matter, he had to admit, was that she was cute. Very cute.

She looked from her food to his face and back, her blood red eyes were still as wide and beautiful as before. She softly bit down on her lower lip, averting her eyes before turning back with a sharp look.

"That isn't any of your business." she took another dainty bite, and looked pointedly snobbish. An expression that looked quite at home perched on her longer, slimmer form. Her shift was the same length as ever though, a nice touch, Kuyabrion thought.

"I wouldn't mind knowing, though." He stepped in front of her path, determined not to be ignored.

Walking high on the balls of her feet, the young woman puffed up and turned to take a dignified exit. Too bad, Kuyabrion thought, she had failed to notice the stack of crates looming just around foot level. As she began to topple forward, he considered watching her fall to the ground, but that wouldn't have been honorable at all…

He also wouldn't have gotten grab her around the waist. Her slim body was soft and warm as he pulled it just a bit closer than was totally necessary.

"Careful now." He said, leaning closely to her ear, breathing in her clean scent. He took a moment to savor the shiver of shock that ran up her spine. The moment wore on; her reaction suppressed to the level that only a royal steward could muster. Kuyabrion couldn't help but rise to the challenge, he lifted her and placed her on her feet. Her long hair had picked up a twig on her almost trip down, Kuyabrion gave his most gentlemanly smile and flicked it away, "You've got to watch where you're going." A wide eyed look was highlighted by a dark blush on her soft-looking cheeks. Her hands had gone slack and the meat she was holding fell to the dusty ground. Score one.

"M-My helboar..." She looked at the ruined treat like a fallen friend and Kuyabrion felt suddenly odd.

"It looks fine to me." He picked it up and grinned. Dirt wasn't inedible, and half of the roast was clean, save for a neat row of bite marks, he sunk his teeth into the rich flesh, enjoying the greasy taste.

He offered it back to her and her desolate expression intensified.

"That is disgusting." A bit of revulsion mixed into that defeat and Kuyabrion could have choked. Though her form was taller, with a few more curves, the look of disappointment carried that same sort of clear innocence that made him feel guilty and protective at the same time, but then she quirked an eyebrow and the edge of her mouth turned up in a bemused smirk.

"I've tasted worse," Kuyabrion returned her smirk, "You should see what they feed the army."

"I would rather not, thank you very much!" She laughed and it lit up her whole face, "But really," she came back around, a bit more like the girl that had first come to deliver that message, "You should throw that out. It's unseemly to eat stuff off the ground."

"It's a shame though, I was kind of hungry."

"Yeah... Me too."

...

Milk, eggs, butter, and a vegetable for tonight's side dish all sat neatly tucked into the wicker shopping basket. There wasn't a cloud in the sky as Cube made his way back home through the countryside. He was on foot, due to numerous incidents that had rendered his modes of transportation useless. Though, he didn't mind so much on day like this.

As he made his way down the dusty path, he pondered his choice of vegetable. Now that he thought about it, eggplant was a rather unusual vegetable. Maybe, he thought, it wasn't even a vegetable at all but some kind of fruit. It grew on a vine right? It had certainly been the freshest thing at the produce stand and he'd read somewhere that it was healthy for you. But, did it taste any good?

He gazed suspiciously at the purple, oblong, thing that might have been a fruit. Maybe he should have gone with the carrots instead... it was bad enough that Lady Yucie was forced to eat such ridiculously sized portions by her father... it would be even worse it it tasted weird wouldn't it?

Yes, that would be unacceptable, but, he'd spent money on it and he didn't have time to go back and get something new, deliver it back home and then meet Lady Yucie after classes. Weird or no, the eggplant would have to stay. Cube looked up just in time to register that he was not alone on the path, that in fact he was walking directly into a person at some speed.

His mind froze. What? Before the taller figure started to topple, he got a clear look at her face; pale skin, blonde curls, and deep blue eyes that stayed glued to the sky above her right until the moment of impact. It was, Cube noticed with a gulp, the first human face he'd ever looked at in detail. Eriya's human form.

His heart jumped to his throat, first the vestiges of happiness and then sheer panic. He couldn't let her see him, not like this, not ever again. Because, despite some less desirable aspects of his life, Cube quite liked being alive and Eri, despite her present human-ness, was an old school fire and brimstone demon. Not the kind to forgive easily or go back upon their statements of "If you have the audacity to appear in front of me ever again, I will literally rip you limb from scrawny limb." He still had the letter, in her handwriting, which stated exactly that.

Cube thanked his lucky stars that Eriya's personal attentiveness hadn't improved. Before those dreamy eyes met with what was tripping her, Cube had made a lightning fast getaway into the roadside only thing that gave him pause was the whump noise and the pained little squeak. He turned back in time to see her stand up and look around, a suddenly pained expression crossing her features, a look he could recal from so many occaisions. It was like she hadn't changed at all...

Cube broke his attention away and started to run, since she was in human form, she wouldn't be able to easily sense his presence. But he wasn't dumb enough to wait untill she could.

...

"So- You've always just lived in the castle?" Kuyabrion asked between bites. They had settled with their, new, non-dropped on the ground meal in one of the outermost royal gardens, away from the lively crowds of the festival, of which they were both quite tired.

"For the last few hundred years, since her majesty married the king." Eriya replied, she had decided to give up the fight for now. Obviously the charm was a strong one, but she could seek some kind of antidote for it later. Right now things were, well, rather nice. It was quiet, she had food, and, for once, someone who, at the very least, was good at pretending they cared what she had to say. "Grandfather offered me as her new steward, and she accepted me."

She kept the description short. Sir Kuyabrion didn't need to be inundated with her backlog of painful memories from before that moment. She was lucky to have lived passed birth, occupational hazard/waste product that she was.

When she though even about her own appearance she wanted to go hide under a rock. Her fragile skin and scrawny form had "human" written all over it. Even her face got that "soft fluffy look" that Her Majesty always talked about.

"I see..." Sir Kuyabrion was non-committal. He had already expressed his dislike for the Queen, but he was obviously trying to make amends.

"Well, I'm glad that she did." he finished, giving her another honey-rich smile. He was really laying it on thick she should have been suspicious, but...

"Me too," Eriya tried not to feel so happy, she turned that glow into a smirk, trying to seem more non-chalant, "So how did a chicken-legged, stubby-horned, useless, sorry excuse for an imp like you become the King's knight?" There was a long moment of silence as Eriya hoped she hadn't overstepped her bounds.

"You really are old man Gaga's granddaughter aren't you?" he said with a deflated, expression. A hand also went self coconsciously to his forehead, where two horns that were somewhat smaller than average grew, but the slight grin that followed it let Eriya know that he knew she was joking, or at the very least, repeating words that weren't her own.

"Well, yes but I could be very offended right now at that derogatory term. My grandfather is wise and distinguished. Not old." She couldn't help but laugh at this. No matter how you looked at it, 1000+ years was over the hill, she'd thought his denial was funny for years, the way he wouldn't tell people how old he was on birthdays, or claimed that manual labor was below him now that it put his back out every time. "Or so he likes to think." She followed up, laughing to herself.

Kuyabrion tenor laugh echoed over the deserted courtyard and she was struck by an odd idea. As she sat there perched on the garden wall, the rich taste of festival food in her mouth, she realized she had never shared her thoughts with anyone. Her irreverent observations about her grandfather's age were just the very surface of a deep well of impressions, inclinations, and comments that got shoved down on a daily basis. She quietly gazed across the short distance between the young knight and herself, not sure what to think.

She wanted to say something but couldn't imagine where to start, so she continued to watch him laugh. A stray lock of pale rose colored hair blew across one eye, obscuring her view. The next thing felt was Kuyabrion brushing it away, stealing just a few extra moments to let his fingers rest on her cheek. Eriya froze.

The light touch pressed a bit more, and her pulse quickened, Kuyabrion smiled as her cheeks started to get hot, "I just realized," he said softly, "I've never heard your name. What might it be?"

"Eriya." She replied in barely a whisper, unable to look away as she was pulled farther into the charm of those green eyes. It awakened something within her that had never had the chance to differentiate itself before. In one exhilarating moment she found herself leaning forward, her hands perching on clammy stone. He was so close, but this time she didn't try to fight anything. A hand cradled the side of her face, warm and rough with the calluses of a swordsman.

"What a pretty name, " the low growl of Kuyabrion's voice ran down her spine, "I'll call you Eri for short-" Eriya did not get her chance to answer as his lips made subtle contact with her own. It's was a simple kiss, barely a greeting to some, but the last of Eriya's resolve melted away. Charm or no charm, she embraced the feeling that had been there since the beginning.

"Okay-" her reply was a bit breathy as she let herself be pulled onto his lap. Everything held a dizzy clarity as she reached up to run a hand through his hair.

He smiled, a bit of darkness flashing over his features. It caught her off guard, his arms tangling tighter through her frame. It was closer than she'd ever been to anyone, too close, but she didn't want to let go. If anything, she just wanted a taste of those lips one more time…

Eriya found herself being hastily shoved away. The ground was cold and her knee was skinned on the way down. That perfect moment quickly disintegrated as Kuyabrion now stood there with a look of cold indifference, his eyes focused on something in the near distance.

"Why did you-?", Eriya's voice squeaked a bit, stung. She hastily blinked away the tears of surprise that had sprang to her eyes.

"-Now, you've been told a million times! His Majesty prefers all of the plants in his garden to have THORNS." A very familiar voice was echoing over the grounds. Eriya looked at Cube one more time. He was nervously gesturing for her to stand up.

"See! All over these walls, No thorns." Eriya stood up just in time to see the King's head steward round the corner and come into their line of sight, trailed by a very bored gardener gnome. "You must fix it immediately—", His stern look traveled directionless around the forgotten courtyard, coming to rest on a familiar figure he had not expected to see. "Eriya-chan? What are you—you—", his gazed switched focus to the figure perched on the wall behind her and Eriya watched an impression form all too quickly, "YOU!"

The girl's mind reeled as she was yanked away from where she stood; her heart plunged into her stomach. Not only at her grandfather's present rage, but at the realization that it might have been so much worse…

She could feel her cheeks really getting red now, total mortification paralyzing her. Thank goodness Grandfather was highly distracted.

"WHO EXACTLY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!" Eriya couldn't see anything now that she was being protectively squeezed to death, "Accosting a Royal Steward!" Grandfather's voice sounded like the look on his face could curl paint, "How low will you sink next Kuyabrion?"

"I wasn't 'accosting' anyone." The knight's voice was belligerent and sarcastic. "Actually, it seems kind of like you're accosting me."

"Eriya-chan!" Grandfather had her by the shoulders, "What did this creature do to you!" His big, round eyes looked bigger and rounder than usual.

"Ah—" Eriya prided herself on being truthful, and things like this were not uncommon… Probably not even a big deal … But as she opened her mouth she just couldn't say it, not this way. "Nothing—He didn't do anything, Grandfather; I'm not sure why you're so distressed." She mustered a look of indifferent confusion and fixed a piece of stray hair that could have been put out of place by Gaga's bear hug.

"Well?" Kuyabrion raised an eyebrow at the still furious-looking steward and held his palms out innocently.

"…Stay away from my granddaughter." He said darkly, "Or Else."

"Jeez, don't have a coronary, old-timer." The lithe demon stood up and stretched lazily, the smirk on his face dripping with contempt. Eriya could hardly believe she was looking at the same person. She found herself wanting to shrink away, the very last thing that came out of his elegant mouth hit her hard in the gut. "I'm not really into her kind, if you know what I mean…"

As he sauntered away she felt nauseous, the sweet memories of the afternoon, a monument to her naiveté. She didn't complain when grandfather fussily rushed her back to the castle, insisting that she spend the rest of the day in bed.


	3. Mixed Messages

"Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupid- So freaking stupid!" It was about 1 am and the castle had finally quieted down for the night. Having said goodnight to her Mistress, Eriya was alone in her room in the servant's wing, exhausted. Her Majesty, despite her solemn promise to give Eriya the day off, had suddenly decided that she needed someone to organize her shoes. While this was a clear display of her Majesty's tyrannical nature, Eriya had been quite grateful for the task. Not, in fact, because she liked organizing shoes but because it had 1) Saved her from a day confined to her bed being smothered by an endless stream of healthy things to eat and remedies that she didn't require. (Grandfather was quite shaken by the fact that she had entered a five-foot radius of his least favorite person, and seemed to imagine that she must be equally shaken as well as an anemic weakling, which was true, but in an entirely different way, but more on that later.) 2) occupied her mind with nice simple things like color-coding and a kitten heel versus platforms and eel-hide versus the epidermis of full moon sacrificed virgin. Her Majesty's had a shoe collection of such complexity that it had made it very easy not to stop and reflect on the start of the day and the complete and utter lack of intelligence, decorum, and discretion she had displayed. Oh yes it had been so very nice and fun and exciting, but really? She was not the kind of girl to let some military playboy put his dirty hands all over her! Gross, who knew how many other, much sluttier, women those hands had touched? Hundreds probably, she could get a disease! She burned with embarrassment at the thought, and shame seeped into her every thought, so that now all she could do was mutter admonishments to herself like a basket case.

She flopped face down on her bed and tried to relax, knowing full-well that most "regular" demons would probably laugh at her for being all shook up over something like this. But she wasn't like that, her purpose in that world was very specific and if she strayed from it, it felt so very wrong. Normal demons got to have torrid, passionate affairs that popped up out of nowhere. Useless half-breeds like herself got to be thankful that they lived out everyday in peace. Eriya really really liked living out every day in peace, some guy with the wrong idea and some really nice green eyes was not worth sacrificing that. Not to mention-! He had totally been a jerk there at the end... pushing her away and then making snide comments about "her kind" it was obviou- that was where she had to stop. No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew that the way Sir Kuyabrion that had spoken to her grandfather was just an act. His manner had been too cocky and over-exaggerated to be a real person, bad acting if you asked her. Though as far as the rest of the afternoon went there was nothing that lead her to believe that that wasn't an act too. Yeah, the King's Knight was definitely a faker of the highest caliber, she was sure of it.

Eriya squeezed her pillow with all the strength she could muster, burying in her face as far as she could, the waves of self loathing would not be stopping anytime soon. She had far overstepped her bounds and and the most terrifying thing was that she felt like she might just do it again, without even thinking twice. This time though, before she spiraled back in to the five-millionth inner retelling of the same mistakes, Eriya glanced up at the clock. It was getting later and later and she needed to get some rest or she would be useless the next day. With effort, she quieted her own thoughts, something she had to do quite often. Pushing back the inner turmoil was as easy as telling herself that it didn't matter. Lie or not, she fell into a light sleep.

...

The pub was dimly lit, with visibility being further obscured by thin plumes of smoke drifting out of the poorly ventilated hearth. Kuyabrion was seated furthest from the door, he had unconsciously pushed the table away as he leaned back, resting the back of his chair on the rough wooden wall. His gaze flicked around the room taking stock of his fellow patrons. The imp at the bar, crying into his beer, the scraggly dark figure, lurking around the entrance. There was group of palace guards, by the look of their uniform, who seemed to be trying to catch the attention of the bartender, a decently attractive cat-creature of some kind. He absorbed the information from his surroundings without having to think about it too hard, such awareness was second nature to anyone who wanted to stay alive in battle. He took a long breath and stared over at his own empty table where a completely untouched tankard of ale sat. He would probably have to down it sooner or later, it would have been a waste of money otherwise, but there was nothing that he really wanted more than an anonymous place to think.

His thoughts didn't hold anything that he considered particularly heavy. Actually by most standards things were going quite well, we had wiped the floor with everyone who'd challenged him to an arena match so far, thus defending his title as Royal Knight, he'd had lunch with a cute girl, simultaneously sticking it to the second most annoying person in Hades, and now he had the evening all to himself for once. Really, there wasn't much to think about at all. And, maybe that was why he felt the need sit there gloomily in a smoky pub, not even drinking anything...

"Hohoho- Pensive as always I see!" He must have begun to space out because a deep laugh right next to his head came as a mild surprise. He looked up to see the burly figure of a man, looking down through the slitted eyes of a mountain goat. "Did that shiny hair of yours suck out your brain as nutrients again!?"

"I don't know," a wide grin began to spread over his face as he stood from the chair, "Is that thick skull of yours even housing anything at all?"

"Hahaha!" The goat-like demon let out a hearty, braying laugh, taking Kuyabrion's hand in an equally hearty handshake "It's been a while, Captain!"

"It has, hasn't it, Costranovo!" The young swordsman couldn't help but laugh at the appearance of his military buddy, "Last thing I heard you were blending in with your brethren in the human realm!"

"Psh, don't you even start calling those filthy animals my brethren," He said animatedly as he pulled up a chair and sat down, his bulk making it creak a little with complaint, "You wouldn't believe what I've had to endure- You gonna drink this?" he said gesturing to Kuyabrion's lukewarm ale. He shook his head and the drink was downed in one go, "That's what I get for ragging on my superiors, eh?"

"General Eregal was just mad that you coined his awesome title." Kuyabrion caught the eye of the bartender, signaling for her to bring another round. "How'd you finally get out of it?

"He's dead and the new general's less of a prick, I guess. Finally reassessed the tactical advantages of impersonating livestock. Got a week or so till they work out my new assignment."

"Niice." He smiled at the barmaid as she set their drinks down and paused briefly as she walked away, "Well, I guess you should rest easy in the meantime." He held his own tankard up, somehow feeling a bit thirstier in present company.

"Of course!" The goat man guffawed, "Though you should take it easy, Mr. Prize-fighter, or you might end up right back with he rest of us!"

...

His bedroom swayed back and fourth, seeming to mimic the motion of a sailing ship. He felt sick, like his whole body had been turned to Jelly, maybe he shouldn't have ordered that fith round, or challenged those succubi to a drinking contest. Though, Costranovo had done a fine job of getting him home, considering the shape he had been in himself.

Kuyabrion stumbled over to the window, bracing himself on every piece of furniture along the way. It was too hot, if he didn't get some air... He fumbled with the latch to the low lying window, blearily staring out from his second-story perch. As soon as the night air hit his face he was overcome by nausea, willfully, he suppressed the urge to vomit. Successful, he was, but only at the expense of paying attention to his balance. One moment, he was staring at the bushes below, the next he was meeting them with his face.

...

Eriya awoke that morning with an uncanny start. It was a familiar feeling, like the sound of a hundred wings, but only there inside her own mind. She shook her head slightly and and got out of bed, moving over to the small window on the other side of her room. All she could see in the early morning light was the craggy shapes of the bushes in the courtyard with the shapes of the section of the palace that lay beyond. If Eriya remembered right, it housed lesser members of the Royal Court, though it always seemed pretty empty, probably because her Majesty kept murdering/banishing members of court. Seemed like a waste of perfectly good sycophants, though she supposed that was just something one wouldn't ever have the capacity to understand being literally the lowest life form in the palace...

Her thoughts ceased as the calls fluttered through her mind again... They were here.

Quickly, she slid out of bed and grabbed a burlap sack that she usually used to hold dirty clothes. Thank goodness she had taken her things to the laundry just yesterday! It was a pain to carry so many feathers in her hands and she preferred to keep such side enterprises as this discrete. Grandfather said it was perfectly fine to save for retirement and such, but she still felt somehow guilty. Quietly she made her way through the few hallways it took her to get outside, keeping her steps quiet and her ears perked for any sound. She winced as the old wooden door complained a bit too loudly on it's way closed and she shifted from bare foot to bare foot as her uncovered feet made contact with the icy ground. It wasn't so bad, she just had to get used to it... Now where could they be?

That weird sense carried her through the courtyard and past most of the regularly used palace outbuildings. Eriya walked on sense alone until her ears picked of the cawing and general scuffling noises of her query. She glanced about, feeling as nervous as always. This was probably the riskiest thing that she ever did on a regular basis, but the money was too good to deny and if she didn't think about it too much it was downright fun.

She peeked through a hole in the bushes and caught a glimpse of shiny back wings. She took a deep breath feeling, exited despite herself. It was unknown whether crows originated in the demon realm or the that of the humans but something unique about their feathers granted them the magic to travel between the two worlds with little consequence. Eriya suspected that their movements were not much deeper than that of any other animal, they went from world to world largely based on the presence of food. Eriya noticed with slight distaste that this particular murder had found a pile of mostly rotten hard-to-recognize organic matter. But she was glad that it meant they were distracted for the moment.

Because of their world-jumping properties, crow feathers were a widely sought-after magical ingredient in the demon realm. It was what had made the teleportation of entire armies possible. The only problem was, the collection method for thousands of years had been to hunt the creatures, outright killing them and either disposing of, or making their meat into a wide range of unappetizing foods. This, surprisingly enough, made the birds incredibly wary of anything of demonic origin. On the other hand, it seemed that no such practice had come into play in the human realm and it was just Eriya's particular luck that they birds were smart enough to know the difference.

With one last furtive glace about, Eriya changed to her human form. The cold morning air went from uncomfortable to limb-numbing as she felt her entire form become, for lack of a better term, less structurally sound. She would have to hurry, lest someone see her and try to take advantage of that.

Though the act of collecting feathers wasn't something she could rush, the crows didn't actually like her, they just weren't AS wary of humans. Furthermore, Eriya prefered to go about it humanely, the price on crow feathers was high enough that she didn't need to get too many in order make a solid profit. Instead of killing the crows she just plucked loose-looking plumage free and collected it to sell later, but if she was too direct or sudden they would all fly away. She took another deep breath and cracked her knuckles, trying to get some blood flow to her fingertips and calm down a bit. So what if she was in human form? It wasn't like anyone would be outside at this time of day.

...

At first, he couldn't tell if the pain was originating from the inside or the outside of his skull but as Kuyabrion laboriously pushed his eyes open, it was quite obvious that the matter that composed his entire body had simply been turned to pain altogether. He could see the grayish colored sky while the darker grayish stones of the palace wall stretched upwards. The cold air and thin light told him that it was sometime in the early morning. Kuyabrion stiffly tried to sit up. How had he gotten outside again? He couldn't quite remember...

A few turns of his head and stretches of his limbs lead him to conclude that, while stiff, he probably wasn't seriously injured. Though the feeling was not at all pleasant as he slowly struggled to his feet. His head throbbed painfully and his mouth tasted like dirt. Groggily, he remembered the goings on of the previous evening and figured that he should have seen this situation coming a mile off. Excessive alcohol use never really ended well for him.

So, it seemed like he had fallen two stories down to the garden below his apartment window. The wide, but unattractive plot of land didn't really catch his interest. Across the way was the large outbuilding where the castle's servants lived, beyond that there were a bunch of old abandoned sheds and more junk that Kuyabrion could have cared less about. He sort-of thought that his quarters should have been somewhere more awesome, considering the fact that he was a famous knight. But a large part of him also didn't care, it wasn't like he did much more than sleep where he lived.

He cracked his neck and took a big breath of the fresh morning air, he didn't have much to do today, so he would probably go back to his room and fall asleep soon enough. But maybe moving around a bit might help with his sore joints and achy head in the meantime.

However, as the "fresh" air reached his nose he detected a smell that was both familiar and unexpected at the same time, a smell that reminded him of a different place and time entirely. He could almost hear the clash of swords and the frenzies cries of battle. His green eyes narrowed as he looked out into the scrubby bushes. Somewhere out there, he could smell a human, and they were going to regret the day that they decided to trespass on demonic turf.

...

Eriya had been too busy looking at the odd patterns that the clouds of the human sky made to notice what exactly had caused her to trip. She had been momentarily aware of something darkish-colored just below her eye level and contact with something that had felt alive. But as she pulled her face from the dusty ground there was not another living being in sight. If she switched back to demon form, she would have been able to feel the presence of every living thing, right down to the blades of grass, but it was too risky to reveal herself now that she was out in the open.

Instead she reached out with the limited sense that she had, closing her eyes and trying to feel the smaller energies that were there underneath the world's magical forces. It was like trying to see through marshwater but as she concentrated the slightest flash of something familiar came to her. It surprised her out of meditation, her breath rushing into her lungs and her closed eyes opening once again. How could she have felt THAT? Was it possible for a new world to play tricks on her? Could her unspoken desires have made her senses hallucinate? She looked around the deserted road, feeling colder, lonelier. She brushed off her white shift and continued onward, there was so much more work to do before this tragedy could draw to it's close.


	4. The Nets Tangle

Would his sword be enough? Kuyabrion thought as he sniffed the air, trying to detect anything else that could give him the upper hand in a violent situation. If a human had managed to get themselves all the way to the demon realm, it would be hard to believe that they didn't have a few tricks up their sleeves.

But this is where it got strange, besides the distinct whiff of "human" he could catch none of the vestiges of that realm, no cotton or steel or livestock, not even the bleachey smell of white magic clung to the otherwise heavy scent of skin and fear. This human could in no way mask their scent, but had somehow gotten rid of every other trace of the unfamiliar world that they came from.

He cautiously began to walk toward the back courtyards, he knew that he should call back-up. There was nothing more foolhardy than approaching an unknown foe alone. But at this time of morning he wondered how helpful a mess of hungover thugs, to whom subtley was a challenge at the best of times, would really be. The scent had grown even stronger when the sound of birds reached his ears. Crows? That could be a solid explanation as to how this intruder got in, harnessing the power of the creatures was what had given their armies the strategic upper-hand for years! Though the same could not be said about their ration's culinary integrity. Sure eating the severed limbs of your foes was fine and good as long as you had garlic, but crow meat? No amount of spice could cover up the earwax-ey aftertaste.

He hid in the low, scrubby bushes creeping up on the cluster of glossy black birds, their voices covered up any useful sounds, though they meant he was well hidden too. He knew the miserable creature was close, but no form was immediately obvious. No glint of human armor, or anything else for that matter just a cluster of hungry birds snacking on some kind of carcass. As he squinted through the grayish leaves, he thought he might have hallucinated the scent altogether.

That was until he heard her voice.

"Oh it not such a big deal! I just want a few feathers! You wont even miss them!" The voice wasn't loud, more of a hushed whisper really. But it was clear and unmistakable. The tension drained from his muscles almost immediately, problem averted, or well it wasn't even a problem to begin with. A cambion's form seemed to come with many clear changes but voice was not one of them. His concern for security slowly melded into just plain curiosity. He had seen enough human in the course of his many tours of war. But only just long enough to rip them limb from limb lest they do the same to him. Mostly warriors, armored and dangerous. Maybe a few women and children, but only as corpses. He had let his eyes pass over them quickly. He didn't have much taste for hurting things that couldn't defend themselves, though he knew that people on both sides tended to make a sport of it.

He creeped forward spotting her small, pale form crouched on the edge of the group of crows, palm outstretched. it seemed like an overly tender gesture for a bunch of dumb animals. The human that he knew could only be Eriya was crawling on the ground on her hands and knees. She was smaller, less mature in this form. He had read somewhere that her kind could only age their human form if they lived in it, he guessed if she didn't do much in the form it made sense for it to be young. The palette of her hair and skin seemed somehow brighter yet more dilute in the harsh, drab landscape. The light giving her pale skin the look of marble. The shift she always wore has white for some reason. An odd touch considering it would have taken some kind of conscious act of magic to spell one's clothes to change from black to white based on form. But he had to admit that white suited this form better, though it did make her look sickeningly angelic.

"Pleease?" She reached her hand out to a complacent avian running her small hand over its back, it squawked and took flight a bit of loose plummage falling free. "Yes!" the small whisper of triumph reached his ears and he couldn't help but smile slightly. She was using her form to collect crow feathers? Little miss stuffy steward had a side enterprise? Cute. He wondered what exactly someone with a sweet gig like her's would need money for. Sure, stewards to the royal family were essentially kept beings, unable to stray too far from the side of their masters, branded with a mark of their station. But, lack of freedom aside, they had it pretty good, old man Gaga's lofty age was a testament. Despite the natural strength and general immortality of the creatures that called themselves demons, most didn't make it very far, devoured by something larger or slain in battle. Kuyabrion counted himself lucky to have lived to this point and he could thank nothing but his own wits, hard work and a face, that while ever-presently mocked by his opponents and cohorts, sure as hell got him everywhere brains and brawn couldn't.

As he watched the tiny young woman grasp at annoyed birds her demeanor was focused, but not aggressive as she sidled up to them being as delicate as possible before taking what she needed. In this manner she managed to collect feathers without driving them away. He watched the demeanor and was suddenly struck with how well she probably dealt with the Queen. A woman so overtaken with pride that even the most petty slights were capital crimes, yet so endlessly hungry for affection that the walls around her her heart could never actually let in.

He could almost see it in his head, the unobtrusive little stewardess, fetching her mistress lunch, arranging her clothes, drying her selfish, grotesque tears, holding her hand out with that tentative focus and inexplicable gentleness that even the most cold-hearted of creatures secretly longed for.

It couldn't have made him angrier.

That whore didn't deserve that kind of pure, genuine affection. Of course this was The Queen he was talking about, and of course she deserved the kind of respect that all rulers did. It was the way it worked. If the Queen told you to come, you came, and if she told you to do something, you had to do it, but most servants did not reserve love for their leaders,only pride in service and fear of punishment. But he remembered the look in her eyes as she talked about living in the castle, about "Her Majesty" the greatest person she knew. The idea that someone so base could have something, someone, so precious seemed like the most unfair joke he could have ever conceived.

A crash though the clearing brought his mind back to the present, some of the crows took flight, but most of them struggled close to the ground, ensnared by a net that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

...

Dulled senses and frosty earth smothered her, her poor crows were in an uproar, screeching and clawing, their stray talons cutting in to her skin. She breathed heavily, trying to stand up, escape but tears sprung to her eyes as she realized she had been caught. Caught by what, she couldn't tell but in this state she was sure that it spelled doom.

"Hahaha! I told you that it would work!" a gruff voice echoed over the forest, "Told yah that my crow-finding spell was good!"

"Oh yeah, the net caught all of them too!" a lower, more slow witted voice exclaimed and Eriya's heart sunk to the pit of her stomach, "You mages sure are smart!

As footsteps approached she didn't know if she should try to wriggle away or simply lie still and wait for an opportunity to run, her sense of self-preservation went just a bit overboard as her mind flew in to a deeply useless tizzy. She ended up lying still hoping that the wieght would be lifted from her scrawny body just long enough to get away. She though of turning back to her human form, but the smell would still be all over her, and it wasn't like a cambion was looked at with much more respect.

She felt a yank on the net string tangling up in her legs and sticking to her arms. Augh, she realized much later than she would have otherwise that this net was charmed. She could break the charm, or maybe summon an item to get her out of this, but that all took use of her hands, which she didn't have. Facedown, she though she might go unnoticed for a few seconds-

"Hey look, there's something not crows in this trap!"

"Eh, what?"

"It's gold!" A rough hand grabbed her hair and she made a noise in spite of herself she tried to not cry out as she was pulled slightly upright, face to face with a wrinkly green creature, he was big, with long arms while she could see his mage compatriot a few feet behind, "Garzon it's a little human! You think it came over with the crows!?" Eriya flinched as she was shaken back and fourth, tears welling up in her eyes at the pain, though she dare not cry out. That would surely just egg them on.

"Maybe, augh don't shake it like that you're getting the smell everywhere!"

"You think we can eat it-?"

"Of course we can eat it!" She cringed, it was just common practice among lower classes to cook whatever they killed. She gulped knowing that she would have to talk her way out of this, but before she could even open her mouth there was a rustlign ans someone else entered the clearing.

"Excuse me gentlemen!" She gasped, what was it that she had done to the dictator of fate to deserve this. She could feel the blood vessels in her face dilate, unsure as to why she suddenly felt like becoming some plebeian's stew was preferable to that person seeing her in this state. "But are you aware that everything in that net that you have is exclusive property of the crown?"

...

Dull expressions met the entrance lines that Kuyabrion had taken a good thirty seconds to think up. He managed to catch up with the present right at the perfect moment. The ugly green one was holding human Eriya by the hair, a hungry grin on his toothy face maybe just about to do something unscrupulous. He turned slowly in response, recognition in his eyes. No one needed to say anything to declare who Kuyabrion was, the entire city had watch him cut down hundreds already. That spoke for itself. He reached down non-chalantly and ripped away the net, releasing a hundred black birds into the sky.

One icy look was all it took for Eriya to be released into his waiting arms. He waved the peasants away, their apologies falling on ambivalent ears. he could feel her trembling as he cradled her, but she didn't make a sound. Shock or fear, it was hard to tell, but it didn't matter either way, she was safe. And he could keep the smirk off his face. Something about helping her out of a tough situation made him feel more powerful, like he was taking a little part of what he felt like he was owed.

...

"How old are you!?"

"Old enough!" Eriya replied cheerfully.

"Are you married!?"

"Of course not!"

"What's your favorite color!?"

"I am fond of red and black!"

"Do you like cats!?"

"...Sometimes."

The barrage of well-meaning questions came like a not entirely terrible tidal wave. Ten-year-olds were so cute! Just intelligent enough to be good company, but still innocent like children ought to be. And by that she meant real ten-year-olds, not unfortunate frustrated cursed 18 year old children. Those were just sad to behold. Especially when they were your beloved princess, sitting in the back corner glaring at a wall and completely unaware of your presence. But of course, that was how it had to be, her capacity as a magic teacher was only useful so far as it cloaked her presence. Though she wished this human form could look a little older! Walking in, she could practically have been mistaken for one of the taller students. It was an uncomfortable feeling that she wanted to share with someone important, she wanted to walk across the room, grab her dear student/ monarch/ ward by the shoulders and tell her that she finally had caught a glimpse of the hell it was to be a grown woman in a child's body, it would do nothing but embarrass her, but Eriya knew that it would bring comfort if she could share that pain with another. But, Princess Glenda could not know she was here and as far a she was concerned, now that her schooling at home was over, Grandfather was the only one that had a place in her , Eriya was a bit happy to see her daily for this last bit of time.

"Teacher! What far away land do you hail from!?" The eager question from a dark-haired girl in the middle of the room caught her off guard.

"Well, um, that is a secret!" She smiled hoped that no one would pry any harder. Though something about the girl drew her attention, she was ordinary looking for the most part, with a big forehead, and a kind, energetic smile. But the Mage in her, could sense something useful there. Maybe under the tutelage of someone else she would grow powerful, she thought absently. Though it was unlikely that anyone in this realm would have the ability to nurture it.

"Aww well I bet that its very beautiful!" the girl replied with slight disappointment.

"-YOU CAN STOP SUCKING UP NOW YUCIE!"

"I'm not sucking up! It's called being friendly! WHY DON'T YOU TRY IT GLENDA!?"

The sudden interaction caught her off guard as well. Since when did lady Glenda speak so familiarly with anyone? Eriya had to smile a little bit. So travel was good for the princess after all.

((OMG SO I wrote a chapter! Um, wow, its been a while... I guess if you want me to write more let me know~ I will totally respond to that!))


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